Bangalore, Oct 16 : A suspected hate crime was reported in Bangalore
where a Manipuri student alleged that he was beaten up by people who
demanded he speaks in Kannada. Three people have been arrested in
connection with the case.

Speak in Kannada, else flee - this was the kind of threat
22-year-old Michael allegedly faced when he went to have dinner at a
roadside eatery in east Bangalore on Tuesday night.

"Three men came to us. One of the miscreants told us to speak in
Kannada. He said that we need to speak Kannada as we live in Karnataka
and and eat Kannada food. They tried to hit us after that," Michael
Lamjathang Haokip said.

Speak in Kannada, else flee - this was the kind of threat 22-year-old Michael allegedly faced.

Although out of danger now, Michael sustained injuries on his head.
What is shocking is the apathy of the onlookers who did not come to the
boy's rescue. The engineering student has been living in Bangalore for
the past four years.

Even as the terrified student tried to make an escape and reach
the Kothanur police station, the group of men followed him. But luckily a
police van reached the spot and the men were taken into custody.
The police have booked the three men under the Rowdy Act for
assault and intimidation. But they are refusing to call this a racial
attack.

"It should not be termed as a racial attack. Even the victim has
told that it is not a racial attack. The three people were drunk and
were semi-literate people and in their drunken state, they did this.
They don't have authority to beat up anyone. That is why we have taken
up this case," said Alok Kumar, Additional CP (Law and Order).

This is not a one of a kind incident for Bangalore. In May 2012,
another Manipuri student Richard Loitam was found dead under mysterious
circumstances triggering protests across the country. Months after that,
a mass exodus of northeastern Indians from Bangalore was triggered by a
hoax SMS, threatening the community.

The latest incident only raises more questions about the safety of outsiders in Bangalore.